Friendship Place

The absolute worst hostel imaginable -- don't stay here.
This place is an absolute dump. The whole write up is false and not representative of what you get for your money. The hotel is run out of a laundromat by dodgy guys, who operate a chain of hostels, which also include hotel (hostel) beautiful. Don't stay here at all -- the place is running off good reviews from a previous owner who has since long departed (by francesco in 2004). The toilets didnt have seats, the showers were often cold, the showers looked like they hadn't been cleaned for months, and the whole place was in disrepair. We had our own key for the place as the reception desk looked like it was last used years ago (when we arrived we couldn't even get let in, as no-one actually is there). They don't even have private rooms here (which we had paid for and didn't get), which is an absolute con, the breakfast is a stale croissant wrapped in plastic with watery instant coffee. The guys just swap people around rooms without notice. It felt very unsafe.

In a pretty bad shape
Got recommended to this place by a tourist information centre which i have to fork out 25 Euro/night stay during my stay in Rome from 30th May till 2nd June. A couple of my bunk mates were paying like 30 Euros. So it all depends on how much you quoted in the first place to the lady at the counter. Anyway, rooms were added as much as they wish and you might just see one or two more beds added without knowing till you come back from all your exploration trips out in Rome!

I have probably stayed in forty hostels, in six countries. This one (where I stayed in Summer, 2007) was undoubtedly the worst, and the worst by far. The washroom was so filthy that I happily paid to use the toilets in the Termini down the street. Later, the management took it upon themselves to rent out my bed to another party, and moved my possessions without telling/asking me, losing two pieces of clothing in the process (for which they did not offer to reimburse me). The hostel is run out of a laundromat, and the management keeps poor records of guests. Consequently, I have rarely felt greater threat to my personal safety or possessions than when staying there. It's a shame that the hostel seems to have gone so downhill so quickly, after a change of ownership in early 2006. The one plus of my having stayed in this hellhole? I ended up laughing hysterically with my dorm-mates at 3 a.m. one morning, as we all tried to sum up just how terrible the hostel is.

Worst hostel ever. I stayed at this hostel for one night in September 2006. They didn't have any room in the main hostel so they took me to one in another building around the corner. Do not stay here, they have bedbugs, and the worst part is that they knew and let me sleep in an infested bed anyway. I found out after that ten minutes before I got there they moved two girls from my room because they complained about bedbugs, and never said anything to me. so dishonest. i woke up to find bugs crawling all over the bed and all over me. This hostel is very dirty. I also saw cockroaches on the walls, and in the luggage storage area. do yourself a favor and do not stay here, you don't want to bring bedbugs home with you.

I'm wondering if this hostel has changed management. When I was there (April 2004) it was squeaky clean (the manager was always cleaning and/or getting staff to clean up every little thing every time it was used), they were extremely friendly and the beds (which were all new bunks) were extremely comfortable (the best I've ever had in a hostel). The bathrooms had just been newly redone and though they were small there was plenty of hot water and definitely toilet seats. Small, maybe. Dirty, definitely not. Is Francesco still there?

This place is an absolute dump. Dirty bathrooms (no toilet seats) and kitchen. Twenty-five euros a night is terrible value for what you get, and the staff are surly. When my friends turned up, they had to share a single bed as the sheets weren't dry for the sofa bed they expected one of them to sleep in, and when they complained on check-out the staff were extremely unhelpful. The electricity periodically runs out and has to be switched back on. The showers barely work, and you can choose freezing cold or boiling hot. The only thing that is accurate about the hostel description is the name 'Friendship Place' -- you're guaranteed to bond with the people in your room as you all share your shock at how much money you're paying for such an absolute dump.

Dirty, very dirty. Great location but they didn't clean the bathroom in the five days I stayed there. Look for another place.

Of the 10 or so hostels I stayed at during my trip throughout Europe this was the worst. The rooms were okay, but the so-called kitchen is a tiny space beside the reception area and washrooms. The water pressure in the showers was horrible. The staff were friendly, but gave me the wrong info about the Colosseum being closed on Sundays (In fact, it was open AND free on Sundays). The location, like many others, is located in a not-so-safe area near the train station. Overall, I didn't like the place and would try to find another next time.

Very small and simple hostel but very clean and friendly. I paid 19 euros a night for a dorm bed. The location is great, as it is very close to the bus-train-Metro station, Termini, where you can find lots of places to eat.

I rate this hostel very highly. I stayed in a private room in the location one block down the street from the main hostel. The staff were all very friendly, including Irana at the main hostel and Vince, who helped me get settled over at my private room. The room was nice, clean, and pleasant. There was a very convenient mini-safe to store my passport and other valuables. The breakfast was just fine each morning (pastries and coffee), and the folks who served it were very pleasant. The staff provided me with a free map of Rome that was better than the one in my guidebook. They also gave me 30 minutes of free Internet access at the Laundromat just a few doors down — very convenient! On the day I left, the staff at the main hostel let me leave my bag there during the day after I checked out. Although I didn't stay at the main hostel, it appeared to be clean and well kept. Overall, I had a wonderful time staying here and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a good hostel with friendly and helpful staff.

Great location, clean place and really cozy as well. There's no common area but then everyone sits around on their beds and talks, or gathers around the tiny kitchen for breakfast, which makes it great for getting to know people. The hostel even has a pizza order service and you get it delivered! Only drawback is perhaps the dark flights of stairs you have to climb, but other than that I would recommend this place.

I simply loved that place! It's a two-minute walk from the train station, it's clean, bright and the staff are very friendly! There are only 24 beds, so soon you know everybody. There's no common room but everybody hangs around at the reception/kitchen room and I met a lot of nice people. I almost felt at home after a couple of days. So if you stay in Rome, visit and try it out!

Woo hoo! Friendship Place was great!! The staff are so nice and the accommodation clean and cozy. The day I arrived, I was waiting for my friend, who was due to arrive from Korea at 10 p.m. Around midnight she still wasn't there, so I got pretty worried. The staff were so kind to me, they shared my worries and they really did care, which was a great help for me then (and my friend arrived safely after some time, so everything was ok in the end). The accommodation is really good, and you will like the kitchen too. It is fabulous, especially if you are on a budget trip. :) Buy some prefab pasta with anything you like at the Spar supermarket in Termini (it says "Gran Ricette" and is Spar's own brand), pour in boiling water, wait for at about 10 minutes and enjoy your yummy meal. It is about 2 EUR or so and it will do for 2 persons (or at least 1.5). It saves a lot of money! (How I wish we found out on the first day instead of the last.) I strongly recommend this place to everyone staying in Rome!

When I arrived in Rome, I had a hard time finding a place to stay... Another hostel sent me to the Friendship Place and was I was pleasantly suprised!! Since it was the only one I knew of that had an opening, I thought it would be a bad location and not so good! When I arrived I was greeted warmly and everyone was very helpful and friendly. Even the people at the laundromat were VERY helpful!! The young woman at the counter even gave me and some friends some great advice on the best tours and places to see! Overall, I had a great time and would highly recommend this place to any hostellers.

I stopped for a week here and had a fantastic time. The staff were friendly and helpful, the place was spotlessly clean and there was fresh coffee, tea, croissants and cereal in the mornings (and sometimes munchies in the evenings, too). The manager even introduced himself personally and checked that everything was OK. At one point I was even served chocolates in bed – fantastic! The place is ideally located next to Termini Stazione — 25 minutes walk from the Coliseum, Forum and Palatine Hill. If you fly into Ciampino Airport the city bus drops you off about 100 yards away from the front door. The hostel is a bit difficult to find at first, as it has no billboard on the street, just a little buzzer. The place is busy but quiet with no 'long-termers' or riotous parties – it's certainly not a party hostel, but not boring either. Everyone I met was having a nice time and was very enthusiastic about the place. The only minor criticism I have is that two of the three showers were a bit cramped for me — but I am quite a big chap and I didn't hear anyone else grumble.